Draft-equalizer.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC MORGAN HEATON,'OF NORTON, KANSAS.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,792, dated July 311 900.

Application filed January 9, 1900. Serial No. 856. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORGAN HEATON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norton, in the county of Norton and State of Kansas,haveinvented a new and useful Draft-Equalizer, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to improvements in clraft-equalizers One object ofthe present invention is to improve the construction of draft equalizersand to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive one adapted todispense with singletrees and capable of enabling the draft animals tohe hitched close to the load.

A further object of the invention is to provide a four-horse evener ofthis character which may be readily separated to enable a pair of thehorses to be hitched to a plow, harrow, or other implement when desired;and, furthermore, the invention has for its object to enable the framesor casings to be utilized as a pulley-block.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aplan View of afour-horse evenerconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of theframe or casing. Fig. at

is a side elevation, partly in section, showing one of the frames orcasings coupled to a plow beam.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs.

1 designates an oblong frame or casing constructed of any suitable metaland composed of a top 2, a bottom 3, front and rear ends 4 and 5, and ahorizontal plate or partition 6, dividing the-oblong frame into upperand lower compartments or spaces and forming a support for a pulley 7and a doubletree 8. The oblong frame or casing is provided at its rearend 5 with a series of longitudinal lugs 9, located opposite theadjacent ends of the top and bottom of the frame and thecentral'longitudinal plate or partition and provided with perforations 10,adaptedto receive a coupling pin or bolt 11, whereby the frame may beattached to the clevis 12 of a plow beam 13 or to the draft-beam of anyother implement. The frame or casing is provided at intervalswithregistering perforations 14, disposed at different points andadapted for the reception of bolts 15, 16, and 17, forming pivots forthe doubletree 8,a main whifiletree 18, and the said pulley 7.

The frames or casings may be pivotally mounted on the ends of the mainwhiffletree 18 by the bolts 16; but when it is designed to extend theconnection and increase the dis tance between the main whiffletree andthe pivots 15 of the doubletrees the main whifile tree may be movedrearward to the pivots of the pulleys 7 The distance can be short enedby arranging the main whifiletree on the pivots of the pulleys andmoving the double trees backward to the bolts 16, or the parts may bearranged in any other manner permitted by the bolts and the perforationsof The doubletrees are provided at their ends with trace-hooks, and

the frame or casing.

the pulleys receive chains 19 or other flexible connections extendingforward at opposite sides of the frames and provided at their terminalswith trace-hooks 20, located at oppo-1 site sides of the centers of thedoubletrees.

The main whifiietree is designed to be pivotally mounted on a poleordraft-beam of an agricultural or other machine, and either pair ofhorses may be uncoupled from the ends of the main Whifl'letree andattached to the plow, harrow,orotherimplemena The draft-equalizersimplifies the construction by dispensing with singletrees and preventsthe traces from comingin contact with the ground in turning a machine orimplement and obviates all liabilityof a horse stepping outside of thetraces. When the draft-equalizer is not in use, both pulleys may bearranged in either of the frames or casings when a pulley-block isdesired, and a doubletree and a chain and pulley may be mounted on atongue or pole when it is desired to use the device on a vehicle. Thearrangement of the longitudinal plate or partition and the relativepositions of the doubletree, the main whiffletree, and the pulleyoperate to prevent the frame or casing from tilting under a strain andafford an even pull.

It will be seen that the device is exceed ingly simple and inexpensivein construction, that itIis adaptedfor use both as a two-horse and afour-horse evener, and that it dispenses will also be apparent that thedistance between the doubletrees and the main whiffletree may be variedand that the draft-animals may be hitched close to the load.

In order to relieve the doubletrees of much of the wear of the chains orother flexible connections, the rear portions of the longitudinal platesor partitions are thickened at 21 to provide an elevated support at theupper face of ception of the pulley, which has a grooved periphery.' Byelevating the pulleys in this manner the chains are prevented frombinding to any great extent on the doubletrees.

What is claimed is-.-

1. A device of the class described comprisin g a substantially-oblongframe provided at its rear end with perforated lugs and havingalongitudinal partition, said frame being provided at intervals-with alongitudinal-series of perforations adapted to receive pivot-bolts andpermit the same to be adjusted to and from each other, a pulley arrangedwithin the. frame and having a pivot passing through perforations of thesame, and a doubletree. pivoted within the frame, substantially asdescribed.

2. 'A device of the class described comprisinga main whifiietree, a pairof substantiallyoblong frames arranged at the ends of the mainwhiffletree and provided with longitudinal plates or partitions dividingthe frame into upper and lower spaces, the main whiffletreebeing'arranged in one of the spaces, pulleys mounted in the other space,doubletrees pivotally mounted in the frame in substantially the sameplane as the pulleys, and flexible connections arranged on the pulleysand extending forward at opposite sides of the each plate or partitionfor the reframe and designed to be connected to the,

adjacent traces substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described comprising an approximately-oblongframe provided with rearwardly-extending lugs and having a longitudinalplate or partition dividing it into upper and lower spaces,,the lowerspace being designed to receive a main whiffletree, a doubletreepivotally mounted in the frame, a pulley also mounted in the frame andlocatedin rear of the doubletree, and a flexible connection extendingaround thepulley and 'located at opposite sides ofthe frame,substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described compris ing an approximatelyrectangular frame having a longitudinal partition thickened at its rearportion,whiflletrees pivoted in the frame, a pulley arranged within theframe on. the thickened portion of the partition, anda'fiexibleconnection passing around the pulley, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising anapproximately-rectangular frame having a longitudinal series ofperforations and provided with a longitudinal partition,whiffletreesdetachably'co'nnected to the frame by the said pivots, a pulleymountedon one of the pivots, and a flexible connection arranged on thepulley,substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, an approximately-rectangularframe provided at its rear end with perforated lugs and havingalongitudinal partition, said frame being provided at intervals withperforations adapted to receive pivots, combined with a pulley mountedin the frame, substantially as described.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my'own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' MORGAN I-IEATON. Witnesses:

JAMES L. MILLER, JOHN 0. BROWN.

